‘Freezin’ for a Reason’ Polar Dip to benefit Camp Sunshine

PORTLAND, Maine — Participants in the fifth annual Portland Polar Dip will be “Freezin’ for a Reason.” The event to benefit Camp Sunshine is set for noon Saturday, Feb. 11, at East End Beach at the base of Portland’s Eastern Promenade. Registration begins at 11 a.m.

Participants will plunge into the chilly waters of Casco Bay to raise money to help send more families to Camp Sunshine, a retreat in Casco for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. The goal is to raise $25,000, enough to fund more than a dozen additional families at Camp Sunshine. The year-round program is free of charge to the families and staffed almost entirely by volunteers.

New this year, organizers said, participants are encouraged to create a plunge team of four or more people, consisting of co-workers and classmates and from civic groups or places of worship. Each participant is asked to raise a minimum of $100 in pledges for Camp Sunshine and those who do will receive an “I DID IT!” T-shirt.